Page:The Hog.djvu/87

85 breeds have, however, much improved the original race; they are now smaller boned, not so large in size, and fatten earlier and more readily.

The .— Here again, the march of improvement is decidedly evident; the old Cornish hog, a large, white, long-sided, heavy-boned, razor-backed animal, possessing but little aptitute to fatten, is nearly extinct; and in its place we see a compact, well-made pig, fattening kindly, coming early to maturity, and yielding in excellence and value to few. This variety has been produced by crossing the old breed with the Berkshire, Chinese, Essex, Leicester, and Neapolitan pigs. These animals require little food beyond vegetables and the farm-house wash, excepting at the period of fattening, when about 3 bushels of barley will suffice to bring them, at nine months old, to the weight of from 350 to 400 pounds.

The Berkshire pigs belong to the large class, and are distinguished by their color, which is a sandy or whitish brown, spotted regularly with dark brown or black spots, and by their having no bristles. The hair is long, thin, somewhat curly, and looks rough; the ears are fringed with long hair round the outer edge, which gives them a ragged or feathery appearance; the body is thick, compact, and well-formed; the legs short, the sides broad, the head well set on, the snout short, the jowl thick, the ears erect, the skin exceedingly thin in texture, the flesh firm and well-flavored, and the bacon very superior. This breed of pigs has been generally considered to be one of the best in England, on account of its smallness of bone, early maturity, aptitude to fatten on little food, hardihood, and the females being such good breeders. Although termed the Berkshire breed, these pigs have been reared in various parts of the kingdom; and some of the very best have come from Staffordshire, from the progeny of the celebrated Tamworth boar. In Leicestershire, also, is a very fine race of them, descending from the stock of Richard Astley, Esq., who devoted much care to the improvement of the Berkshire pigs. Hogs of the pure original breed have been known to attain to an immense size, and weigh as much as 800 to 950 pounds. One bred at Petworth measured seven feet seven inches from the tip of his snout to the root of his tail, and seven feet ten inches in girth round the centre; five foct round the neck, ten inches round the thinnest part of the hind leg, and two feet across the widest part of the back. He stood three feet nine inches high; and, what was most remarkable in this monstrous animal, he did not consume more